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March
2007 to March 2009
(draft 3-07)
I.
*Continue to assess the educational program at
A. Monitor class sizes,
staffing, and support levels within
1.
Continue to review
consider viable alternatives.
2. Review the school choice decision and recommend the addition of
school choice slots to maintain class sizes in the 16 – 18 range.
3. Support a level of arts and
support staff at
needs of all students and allows every student to participate.
4. As
staff members retire and change assignments, examine the special
education model used at
B. Support the intensive use of school staff during math and reading periods to
provide all students with small (4-8) group instruction.
1. Schedule support staff during classroom reading and math periods
2. Provide additional support at the 1 - 3 grade levels during reading time
3. Explore grants, community volunteers, cross-age
tutoring to provide additional opportunities for
one-to-one or very small (2-3) group instruction.
4. Expand the Homework Club through grants, volunteers
and district funds.
C. Explore and use a variety of assessment strategies to monitor student progress.
1. Select varied assessment measures depending on the skills to be assessed such as portfolios, informal assessments, projects, oral reports, running records, teacher-made tests, standardized tests and student interviews.
2. Implement a district-wide, longitudinal data warehouse system.
3. Pilot a simplified electronic portfolio system.
D. Connect assessment directly with instruction.
a. Use assessment measures that provide meaningful data for instruction.
b. Assess students on information and concepts that have been taught (with the exception of pre-tests).
c. Develop lessons/activities to help students improve areas of weakness and recognize areas of strength.
d. Train teachers to include opportunities for extensions and reteaching in each lesson.
II. *Enhance
communication among
and the
Survey indicated a slight drop in the satisfaction of
parents/guardians with
communication with the school administration.
Because
committed to working with parents to enhance each child’s
education, staff
will make this a priority for the next year.
We believe that parents are a
child’s first and most important teachers and that it is
their long-term
commitment to their child’s education that will insure
their child’s success.
A. Use various formats to inform parents and the community about Pelham
School.
1. The school newsletter, the Pelham Press, will go home to each family
every Thursday and be posted on the Pelham web site.
2. At least once a month each classroom will include an article in the
Pelham Press. Other school and community information will be
included in the Pelham Press if it is received by Wednesday morning.
Teachers will put any weekly notes to parents on their class web sites.
3. Staff will provide to the school secretary all dates for each month’s
calendar at least one week in advance. Each committee or group will
provide dates for the calendar as soon as they are known. The Pelham
School Calendar will be sent home to each family in the Pelham Press
and posted
on the
4. Send a special edition of the Pelham Press to the entire
community at least once a year
5. Make copies of Pelham Press and Literary Magazine available
in the Pelham Public Library
6. Maintain a school web site and invite town and parent groups to add
information to it.
7. Provide the Gazette/Bulletin with information regarding special
events or projects.
8. Use
the Town of
9. Explore new technology to reach more parents, such as an email
newsline like the “Wildwood Wire.”
10. Maintain a parent/community bulletin board.
11. Continue bottle and can collection to provide a service to the Pelham
Community.
12. Support fund raising efforts of various groups to promote Pelham
School’s visibility in the community.
13. Continue bi-weekly principal open office hours where parents can drop
in to discuss general school issues.
14. Establish a simplified procedure for parents to set up a conference with
the principal.
B. Help parents and community members become an integral component in
Pelham students’ education.
1. Conduct a bi-annual parent survey and provide results to parents.
2. Promote parent visits and contributions to classes
3. Explore new ways to engage parents in school events.
4. In cooperation with the Pelham Parent Council, create
telephone trees, car pools, and child care sites to
increase participation in school events
5. Develop on-going strategies to help parents of new students in Pelham
School feel more integrated into the school community
6. Hold forums as necessary for sharing school information
7. Hold a Fall Curriculum Night with time for staff to present
curriculum and parents to ask questions.
8. Hold a Spring Open House for students to share their learning with
parents.
9. Invite parents and community members to share their expertise with
Pelham students
III. *Strengthen
and support the following areas of the curriculum:
A. Math
1. Develop a sequential math curriculum for Pelham
School that takes into account the following areas:
a.
b. District math curriculum
c. Student math assessment data
2. Pilot the revised Investigations and Connected Math curricula.
3. Maintain a math portfolio for each student.
4. Pilot including math assessment data in the district’s Data
Warehouse and in electronic portfolios.
5. Provide reteaching lessons or extension activities to meet individual
student needs.
6. Provide opportunities for teachers to attend workshops,
conferences, courses, etc., in the use of the new math curriculum
B. Science
1. Develop a sequential science/technology curriculum for Pelham
School that takes into account the following areas:
a.
b. District science/technology curriculum
c. Student science/technology assessment data
d. Strengths of the current Pelham School Science/Technology
curriculum.
2. Pilot the revised district Science/Technology curriculum.
3. Design and implement science/technology unit assessments.
C. Language Arts
1. Design a literacy program at each grade level that reflects a balanced
approach to literacy and uses assessment data and reading benchmarks
to monitor student progress.
2. Maintain a writing portfolio for each student.
3. Support the continuation of the Reading Recovery Program for
students who need a boost in reading
4. Provide opportunities for teachers to attend workshops,
conferences, courses, etc., in the language arts area.
5. Pilot including language arts assessment data in the district’s data
warehouse and in electronic portfolios.
6. Develop a sequence of phonemic awareness assessments that will
identify students with issues in this area.
D. Social Studies
1. Begin the revision of the Pelham School Social Studies Program by
examining district level revisions, Massachusetts History and Social
Studies Curriculum Framework, and the recommendations of national
history and social studies organizations, and any released items from the
MCAS History/Social Studies test.
2. Design and implement history/social studies unit assessments.
IV. *Continue
to provide a social skills program and a school climate that promotes
the district multi-cultural goals and the Pelham School Statement of
Belief on Diversity, including tolerance, respect, and inclusion of
all across the school community in order to maintain a safe school
environment for all students.
A. Continue and expand social skills programs that are currently in use in the school.
1. Anti-Bullying Curriculum
2. Second Step
3. Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation
4. Adapted Portions of the Responsive Classroom Model
a. Rules for a Friendly Classroom
b. Rules for a Friendly Playground
c. Class Meetings
5.
B. Increase teacher training in the areas of social skill development, programs that
teach social skills explicitly, and maintaining a classroom environment and
school climate that supports social skill development.
C. Maintain a message box where students can contact the counselor/principal about issues in the school community.
Appreciating diversity is respecting differences and similarities among groups and individuals and is a way of perceiving our world in new ways. It stretches our minds to go beyond our usual thinking. This appreciation will lead to a vital community with shared strengths and goals. To foster appreciation, we need to feel pride in our own uniqueness. We also need a strong sense of self. In addition, we need to explore expressions of human diversity in order to increase our knowledge of a changing world.
We hope that we will all actively embrace diversity by interacting with a wide variety of people using conflict resolution skills, by continuing to learn about our world, and by actively responding to insensitivity. In this way we can celebrate the richness and fullness of human diversity. The Becoming a Multicultural School System Goals provide a structure for school-based plan to accomplish the BAMSS mission. The goals incorporate the legal requirements of Chapter 622 and Title XI. They also set a direction for evolution of the educational program in each school. School staff will assess annually the status of the BAMSS goals and identify activities that will further their accomplishment.
Goal Area I:
Institutional Practices
School practices will treat all individuals equitably and promote respect for the diversity of the school community. The entire staff will act on their responsibility to address racism and other forms of discrimination in the schools. Classroom instruction will promote in students value for their individual and cultural identities and respect for those of others.
Goal Area II:
Curriculum and Instruction
Teachers will infuse content, experiences and perspectives from various groups throughout the curriculum to promote students’ understanding of the nature and complexity of our multicultural society.
All students will learn the history, purposes, and dynamics of racism and its relationship to prejudice and discrimination in our world.
Classroom instruction will promote in students value for their individual and cultural identities and respect for those of others.
Goal Area III:
Students Achievement
The schools will have high expectations for achievement for each student, regardless of his or her racial or cultural background.
All students will have equal access to extracurricular and athletic activities.
Goal Area IV:
Affirmative Action
The school system will obtain, retain, and promote a qualified staff whose racial and cultural diversity is reflective of that of the community.
Goal Area V:
Inservice Training
The school system will provide ongoing opportunities for all staff to increase their knowledge of cultural groups, to understand better the effects of racism and other forms of discrimination, and to integrate multicultural education into the school program.
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